#19 - Aghora

Aghora is the unique brainchild of Miami-based Venezuelan composer, guitarist, Berklee alum and martial artist Santiago Dobles.  I mention the martial arts because Dobles' music is heavily informed by his immersion in yoga and qigong, and the spiritual philosophy surrounding them.  Aside from the eastern musical and lyrical influences, Aghora's sound is an assortment of heavy, peaceful, shredding, jazzy, technical and beautiful all at once, and somehow manages to sound cohesive and clear of purpose through it all.

The first, eponymous album featured the legendary rhythm section of the Seans (bassist Malone and drummer Reinert), and is worth the listen on that merit alone.  But Dobles' guitar work is almost equally impressive (and that's saying a lot), and unknown vocalist Danishta Rivero's Indian-influenced singing is arresting, if a bit unpolished.  I highly recommend this album as well as the follow-up, Formless, which featured new members in impressive bassist Alan Goldstein and the more refined (but less unusual) Diana Serra on vocals and improved production by the great Neil Kernon.  Both are unconventional and interesting works, expertly performed, with the common thread being Santiago Dobles' unique blend of ethereal world music, modal jazz fusion and technical progressive metal and his impressive soloing.  Here's one song from each of the releases for you to compare and enjoy.

#20 - Pantera

The third band in the last seven from the Texas Triangle (along with tech-prog wizards Blotted Science and Power of Omens), post-thrashers Pantera hailed from Arlington, in the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area.  Scraping by for the duration of the 80's, they started out emulating the popular sound of the decade, glam metal.  While not completely terrible, and despite some proficient and interesting guitar playing by then-Diamond (later Dimebag) Darrell Abbott, their first four albums didn't really stand out from the crowded field.  It wasn't until 1990 that they broke out (in a big way) with what's commonly regarded as their real debut, Cowboys From Hell, having evolved their sound into something far heavier, thrash-influenced and really unique for the time.  As it turned out, that sound was also highly influential, as it seems every American metal band of the subsequent two and a half decades claims them as an influence.

I remember first hearing "Cemetary Gates" from that album, which was getting heavy rotation on So Cal's metal station, KNAC, and not knowing what to make of it.  It was both melodic and percussive, kind of funky and super heavy.  Because of the later armies of emulators, it sounds more commonplace now, but at the time it was striking music.  The next album, Vulgar Display of Power, is my favorite of theirs, and takes their trademark "groove metal" sound a step further with Darrell's crushing riffs and lightning solos, rock-solid rhythm section playing by Darrell's brother Vinnie Paul Abbott on drums and bassist Rex Brown, and the versatile half sung, half shouted vocals of Phil Anselmo.  Below is the opener, "Mouth For War", which is an exemplar of the band at its height.  The riffs are as good as any in rock, and the pocket is palpable.  Following that is a live performance of one of my favorites from the "debut" entitled "Domination", which was the heaviest thing I had ever heard in 1990.

#21 - Crisis

Grindcore is definitely not one of my favorite metal genres.  The shorter, less complex compositions, the screamed vocals, the loose ensemble playing and the lack of showoff-y instrumental work and solos are all characteristics diametrically opposed to some of the qualities I generally value most in metal.  That said, New York's Crisis is such a fantastic specimen that they're not only the lone example of the genre in my top 100 bands - they're near the top at number 21.

There's no denying a distinct hardcore punk influence, nor the Anthrax-ian thrash that belies their geographic origins.  But Crisis weaves in abrupt tempo changes, from syncopated, hard-charging thrash to bone-crushing doom and back again, as well as an arty experimental approach akin to Mr. Bungle.  There are also occasional progressive hints, with some longer than typical songs and odd meters cropping up from time to time.  The musicianship in general is pretty strong, and the energy is breathtaking.  But what really pushes this band into the conversation as a topnotch metal act are the astonishing capabilities and expressiveness of vocalist Karyn Crisis.

I first came across Karyn and the band during a phase when I was looking for bands with female vocalists, trying to disprove the inclination I had at the time that metal could only be convincingly performed by men.  What can I say?  I was young.  And female-fronted metal wasn't easy to come by.  You've already heard a few of my discoveries from that time, but Karyn (along with Anneke van Giersbergen and somebody else you'll be hearing from later) remains one of my absolute favorites.  Her vocal approach attacks gender stereotypes viciously, slipping between an almost childlike-sounding clean tone, hardcore screams (sometimes pitched and sometimes completely chaotic), death growls and grunts and ear-piercing shrieks with jaw-dropping effortlessness and frightening earnestness.

Here's a favorite of mine, "Prisoner Scavenger", from their breakthrough sophomore release, Deathshead Extermination, the whole of which is as consistently enjoyable as it is astounding.  Make sure you listen to the fast middle section starting at 1:30 to witness some mindblowing vocal schizophrenia.  Following is a early live performance from just before that album's release which, while not of pristine A/V quality, demonstrates that Crisis wasn't just studio magic which is pretty hard to believe when you hear them.

#22 - Power of Omens

There are so many things to like about this terrific Prog Metal band from San Antonio, Texas.  1. Their chops are as formidable as just about any band of their genre, which is saying a lot when it comes to the ambitions of progressive metal.  2. There's a decent amount of flamenco-style guitar in the mix, which, while not completely unique, is pretty unusual, and, although I'm a layperson when it comes to flamenco music, band leader/guitarist David Gallegos sounds pretty legit to me.  3. Vocalist Chris Salinas is pretty much a dead ringer for one of the greatest metal vocalists of all time, Queensrÿche's brilliant Geoff Tate.  4. The drumming is so note-y and varied, both of their two albums (especially the first) sound like a percussion solo work with band accompaniment.  I mean it's completely unique, impressive and bizarre drumming.  5. Everyone likes the underdog right?  How many other predominantly Latino progressive metal bands do you know?  None, right?  Plus, they released on tiny labels Elevate and Metal Ages, and they hail from the musical Mecca of San Antone.

I came across Power of Omens just after the release of their second album, Rooms of Anguish, in 2003 thanks, I think, to the late great website mp3.com.  At that time, I think they had about six or seven songs available for download between the two albums, and I remember being blown away by progressive masterpieces "Word on a Line", "My Best to Be", "A Toast to Mankind", "With These Words" and the on of my favorite metal epics of all time, "Test of Wills".  I immediately bought the album and scoured the internet trying to find a copy of the debut, Eyes of the Oracle.  It was tough to find; I even sent an email to David who basically told me "good luck".  I eventually found a copy on Ebay for less than $40 and snatched it up.  Unfortunately, they split up a couple years later, but at least they left behind two classics of the genre and some of the most complex, densely orchestrated melodic metal I've ever heard.  Here's the studio version of "A Toast to Mankind" which illustrates some of the unique characteristics I mentioned above, followed by some terrific footage of the band playing that terrific epic, "Test of Wills" live at a bar in San Antonio, which is almost comical due to the juxtaposition of the proficiency of the musicians, the complexity of the music and the dramatic presentation against the ordinary, everyday setting.

#23 - Rage Against the Machine

I don't listen to them all that often, but whenever this Los Angeles quartet gets into my rotation, I always come away impressed and glad I gave them yet another listen.  Like with Mr. Bungle, I was introduced to Rage Against the Machine by a trumpet playing college friend who had great taste in music that was then woefully under-appreciated by me.  He came from more of an alt-rock background and... let's just say that I hope I'm more open-minded to different musical perspectives now than I was in the early 90's.  As a result, it took me a few years before I really gave their 1992 self-titled debut a chance.  Better late than never.

RAtM is often referenced as the pinnacle of rap-metal and the chief influence of the nu-metal genre that took off in the late 90's, and while those plaudits are true, I think they sell the band a bit short.  You can definitely hear the influences of earlier rap-punk bands Beastie Boys and Urban Dance Squad, as well as those of metal acts Anthrax and Faith No More, but you can also hear a distinct beatnik jazz influence in the vocal and instrumental rhythmic approach, and of course in the exaggerated, idealized poetry of the lyrics.  Add to that Tom Morello's unique approach to guitar solos, a super-stanky funk groove, and an extremely enthusiastic, energetic and earnest performance style, and you've got a wholly unique and convincing metal act.  Early on, I had a tough time with what I saw as outrageously over-the-top lyrical content, but over time I've come to appreciate it as, like a lot that I love about metal, an output of expressionist art that's simultaneously embarrassing and essential to the success of the music, and now they are to me a landmark band, as impressive and listenable today as they were over 20 years ago.  You probably remember the following songs, as they certainly weren't "underground", but they're a couple of favorites of mine, so here you go.  "Wake Up" was featured in transition to the closing credits of the great action/sci-fi film The Matrix, and besides a great groove and some interesting rhythmic shifts, features a spine-tingling crescendo to the coda where vocalist Zack de la Rocha screams desperately at the listener to "WAKE UP!".  And probably their most famous song, largely thanks to the shock value, "Killing in the Name" follows a similar formula - I'll close with a compelling live performance of it.  Just in case you somehow arrived here unawares and are sensitive to strong language, be warned: there is no hesitation on the part of this band to gleefully deploy f-bombs with frequency and heartfelt emotion.

#24 - Martyr

We're getting into the crème de la crème now, and at number 24 sits my favorite pure death metal band on this list.  We'll be coming to a few other bands in the coming posts who I've seen described as death metal, and who certainly exhibit some of the characteristics of the genre, but I can't think of anybody who would disagree with the assertion that Québec's brilliant technical death metal band Martyr fits firmly within its bounds (if any musical style truly has such things).  The extreme metal movement in that part of Canada is legendary, having produced, in addition to these guys, amazing technical death metal bands Cryptopsy and Gorguts (who would probably be on this list now if I had it to do over again) as well as legendary progressive thrashers Voivod.  Oddly enough, Martyr's mastermind and virtuoso guitarist Dan Mongrain has played in all three of those other bands.

I remember first hearing Martyr sometime around 2000, thanks (I think) to mp3.com, which was a gem back then for seekers of new music and bands eager to get their work heard.  Their album Warp Zone had just been released, and one or two of the tracks were available for download.  I can't remember what lead to me to giving them in particular a listen - probably that great online compendium, The BNR Metal Pages - but I know that I was blown away by what I heard.  The band's melodic approach is really unusual, especially for that time: angular and atonal, with frequent wide melodic intervals.  Rhythmically, like a lot of the genre, they're frenetic, complex and relentlessly aggressive.  Every one of the players is a master of his craft, especially Dan, who, when you hear him, makes perfectly obvious why he's been so in-demand as a guitarist.  As has become the custom, I'm including two clips here: a studio recording of the opener from their last (and best) album, 2006's Feeding the Abscess, and a live video from 2008 of a song from the same album called "Nameless, Faceless, Neverborn".  Both take some wildly unexpected turns; I hope you enjoy them.

#25 - Alice Cooper

One of the enduring enigmas of heavy rock: Is Alice Cooper a band or is Alice Cooper a person.  The answer, for any readers who aren't that well-versed in lore or music, is both.  But that never really seems quite right, because Alice (the man once known as Vincent Furnier) is such a large personality that he makes it hard to acknowledge anyone else sharing the stage with him, because Alice Cooper, the solo artist, released his first album only a year or so after the breakup of Alice Cooper, the band, and because the theatrical stage show and creepy storytelling are at least as defining as either of them.

Alice Cooper started as a group of high schoolers who could barely play their instruments in Phoenix, Arizona in the mid-60's, and managed to get signed by Frank Zappa to his indie label in 1968.  Their first two albums on his label, 1969's Pretties for You and 1970's Easy Action are loose and unpolished, but the somewhat avant-garde compositions and quirky arrangements give a hint about the creativity that would become clearer later when they developed the chops, funding and focus to more clearly showcase it.

1971's Love It to Death is a landmark album, Alice Cooper's last with Zappa's "Straight" label, and first with producer Bob Ezrin (who I consider to be an integral part of the band).  It was the band's first commercial success, and demonstrates enormous musical progress, particularly as instrumentalists.  The band went on to release four more albums in less than three years, a break-neck writing, recording and touring pace that, remarkably, resulted in a large catalog of consistently terrific music.  All of Killer, School's Out, Billion Dollar Babies and Muscle of Love are highly recommended.  Alice even managed one excellent album without his bandmates in 1975's Welcome to My Nightmare (still produced by Ezrin) before the quality of the output started to fade.

In the early 70's, Alice Cooper was an integral part of heavy metal's and glam rock's roots, but, perhaps even more importantly, they founded modern shock rock, and their influence can be seen decades later in the likes of Mercyful Fate, Gwar, White Zombie, Marilyn Manson, Slipknot and Ghost B.C., to name a few.  Despite their status as innovators, the music itself still holds up over 40 years later as progressive and powerful.  Here are a pair of clips, both from the Love It to Death album: the studio version of my favorite, "Black Juju" and a live for television performance of the eerie "Ballad of Dwight Fry".